Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-15788

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14975 by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023, whether there are any plans to conduct any monitoring or investigations at (a) Arecleoch and (b) Glen App wind farms.

SEPA has informed Scottish Government officials they have no plans to conduct any monitoring or investigations at Arecleoch and Glen App wind farms.

As noted in my answer to question S6W-14975 on 2 March, Scottish Power Renewables have advised the Scottish Government that all spills on the sites have been of a minor nature and therefore have not required a notification to be sent to SEPA.

Local planning authorities are responsible for monitoring compliance with any conditions and other environmental commitments, or mitigations as identified as part of the Environment Impact Assessment. All cases are considered under their own granted consent.

Question reference: S6W-15787

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14973 by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023, what action has been taken following the meeting on 15 February 2023 regarding the use of diesel generators at Arecleoch and Glen App wind farms.

The rules and regulations that govern the resilience of the GB electricity grid are a matter reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government has no responsibility in relation to the operational management of wind farm sites.

At the meeting on 15 February 2023, Scottish Government officials were given reassurances by Scottish Power Renewables that they are taking forward work on alternatives to the use of diesel generators.

Scottish Government officials continue to seek regular updates from Scottish Power Renewables on this work as it progresses.

Question reference: S6W-15789

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Skills Development Scotland to increase the number of funded electrician apprenticeships in 2023.

I recognise that apprenticeships are vital to ensuring that the electrical sector has the skills it requires.

SDS is responsible for managing the apprenticeship programme in response to industry demand and in line with Ministerial expectations. They will continue to ensure that apprenticeships can support the sectors we need to grow our economy and deliver our just transition to net zero.

It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for apprenticeship starts in-year, and they adjust the number of starts allocated to respond as appropriate within their budget.

‎SDS undertook a reallocation process for MA starts in December 2022 and were able to allocate several hundred starts to training providers, with an extra 116 places allocated to the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT). They then allocated a further 87 places in February 2023, bringing the total number of places allocated to SECTT during 2022-23 to 865.

Question reference: S6W-14974

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns regarding the health and safety of workers and poor environmental management practices in connection with allegations that Scottish Power has used diesel generators to power 71 wind turbines after a fault developed.

The rules and regulations that govern the resilience of the GB electricity grid are a matter entirely reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has no responsibility in relation to the operational management of wind farm sites.

Scottish Power Renewables have told Scottish Government officials that their management systems are accredited to ISO standards and that they have established a working group to consider alternatives to diesel.

Question reference: S6W-14976

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to meet with Scottish Power in relation to reported concerns regarding the health and safety of workers and poor environmental management practices in connection with allegations that Scottish Power has used diesel generators to power 71 wind turbines after a fault developed.

Scottish Government officials met with representatives from Scottish Power Renewables on 15 February 2023 to discuss the use of diesel generators at Arecleoch and Glen App wind farms.

The rules and regulations that govern the resilience of the GB electricity grid are a matter entirely reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has no responsibility in relation to the operational management of wind farm sites.

Question reference: S6W-14897

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £50 million Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund, launched in September 2022, has been distributed to (a) each local authority and (b) registered social landlords.

£7.473m has been allocated to Aberdeen City Council, North Ayrshire Council and New Gorbals Housing Association. When including the pilot by North Lanarkshire Council, a total of four capital projects providing 754 homes are being supported by funding in the region of £13 million. We are also at an advanced stage of due diligence on several further applications from local authorities and registered social landlords across Scotland. These have the potential to bring up to a further 250 homes back into use. Approved project costs are published on our website at: Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-14975

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has conducted any monitoring and investigations at, or in the area near to, (a) Arecleoch Windfarm and (b) Glenn App Windfarm within the last 12 months, and, if so, whether any environmental concerns were noted.

Question reference: S6W-14973

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with representatives of Scottish Power, and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S6W-14775

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08832 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 June 2022, whether it will provide updated figures on how many of the (a) laptops and (b) tablets due to be provided to school pupils in (i) South Ayrshire and (ii) East Ayrshire are yet to be distributed.

I refer the member to answer to question S6W-08832 on 7 June 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at - https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

These devices were funded in 2020/21 to tackle digital exclusion as a result of school closures caused by the pandemic. Individual local authorities across Scotland have also undertaken their own digital inclusion schemes and have invested in devices from their own budgets.

We continue to work with local authorities on plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a device and connectivity by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026.

Question reference: S6O-01902

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on the drink industry supply chain of the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.